Plot: What’s it about?
Cinderella might have had a rough start, but she overcame her problems and was able to get her very own happy ending, complete with Prince Charming. She had some help of course, mostly from her Fairy Godmother who used her powerful wand to make some magic in Cinderella’s favor. But what if things didn’t quite turn out so well for Cinderella? What if Lady Tremaine, the wicked stepmother herself, was able to somehow keep a step ahead of the magic? That is just happens when Tremaine gets a hold of the Fairy Godmother’s magic wand and uses it to twist fate to her side. She turns back time to before Cinderella tried on that glass slipper and this time, it won’t be Cinderella’s foot that is a perfect match. This is because Tremaine has made sure one of her own daughters will be the chosen one, to end up by Prince Charming’s side. The entire kingdom is turned upside down by her actions, but since she has what she wants, Tremaine is satisfied. Of all the residents to notice, it is the mice Jaq and Gus who start to sense something isn’t right. But can two small rodents manage to make things right once again in the kingdom, or has Tremaine taken away Cinderella’s fate once and for all?
The legacies of some of Disney’s most cherished franchises have been tarnished of late, thanks to mediocre direct to video sequels that pale in comparison to the originals. Cinderella is a beloved movie that generations have adored, but the sequel is likely to be forgotten within months. Now we have Cinderella III, but this isn’t your typical sequel, instead it is a look at what might have happened, if things were a little twisted. Kind of like those “What If?” comics, where well known situations were revisited with much different circumstances. So Cinderella III explores what the original would have been like if the glass slipper didn’t fit the foot of Cinderella. I was pleased to find that the tone was rather serious, much like the original and not a total farce like many of these Disney DVD sequels have been. As expected, Cinderella III isn’t on the same level as the original, the sense of magic isn’t as strong and this movie just can’t measure up. But when compared to other direct to DVD sequels from The Mouse House, Cinderella III shines and stands out as one of the better productions. The animation is solid, but not up to feature film standards and the characters have been tweaked in most cases. Cinderella III isn’t as good as the case leads us to believe, but it is a more than decent watch and a good choice for family movie night.
Video: How does it look?
Cinderella III is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is a great visual treatment, with no real room for complaints. I voiced my slight disappointment over the animation already, so no need to refocus on that here. The image looks as good as we could want, with a clean print and a sharp overall presence. The detail level is excellent, but due to the simplistic animation used, depth is never allowed to be that impressive. I found colors to be bright and pleasant, while contrast is smooth and consistent as well. Not much else we could demand here, so a great looking visual effort from Disney on this one.
Audio: How does it sound?
The sound design on this film is rather limited, outside of the musical numbers, but Disney has spared no expense in this presentation. We have 5.1 soundtracks in both Dolby Digital and DTS, a decision sure to delight audio minded fans. As I said before, the movie lacks the kind of sound design to take full advantage of the lavish audio treatment, but for what we do have here, it couldn’t sound much better. The musical numbers have a rich, full presence and from the vocals to the instruments, all the elements sound terrific. The audio is calmer in most other scenes, aside from some sparks of life in the more action driven sequences. This disc also includes French and Spanish language options, as well as English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The supplements included are all aimed at the younger viewers, with a magic wand game, ballroom dance activity, and a music video all tacked on.
